Crayon holder



June 0- I J. H. OXLEY ,9 7

CRAYON HOLDER Filed Feb. 20,; 1940 In van 5722.

Patented June 25, 1940 UNITED STATES CRAYON HOLDER John H. Oxley,

Water-town, Mass.

Application February 20, 1940, serial No. 319,924

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain improvements in holders which are adapted to be applied to crayons, chalk or charcoal sticks, such as are commonly used in schools, and elsewhere, for marking on blackboards, or paper.

The common crayon, before it is used, is usually slightly more than 3 inches in length, but soon becomes worn down to much shorter lengths by use. Breakage is also frequent, and loss by breakage in shipment is a very substantial item. Short sections resulting from use and breakage are frequently thrown away which could be used to a substantial extent if a suitable holder were provided therefor.

The common crayon is usually of two types, both being cylindrical in form and one being of uniform diameter and the other slightly tapering in diameter.

The objects of my invention are to provide a form of crayon holder which is adapted to be placed on the crayons before they are packed for shipment, and will effectively prevent breakage during shipment and which is of such inexpensive construction that the expense for providing a Also to provide a holder which is adapted frictionally to engage crayons of either the uniform diameter or tapering type throughout the entire length of the portion of the crayon which is enclosed by the holder, so that the crayon will be securely held therein.

Also to provide a holder which may be readily adjusted on the crayon as it is worn down in use and which will permit the use of comparatively short sections of crayons.

Also to provide a holder which is transparent so that the color and position of the crayon in the holder may be readily observed.

I accomplish these objects by providing a holder which consists of a rectangular shaped sheet of thin, resilient, transparent, material, such as Celluloid, which is moulded in tubular form, so that the longitudinal edge portions thereof overlap, and so that the internal diameter of the tube decreases to some extent from one end to the other, the normal maximum internal diameter being slightly greater than the diameter of the standard crayon of uniform diameter and its normal minimum diameter being substantially less than that of the crayon of uniform diameter and substantially less than the minimum diameter of the standard'crayon of the tapering type.

For a more complete disclosure of my inven- 55 tion, reference is now made to the following specseparate holder for each crayon is not prohibitiveification, in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a crayon of. chalk holder embodying my invention.

- Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof at line 2-2 of 5 Fig. 1, with the crayon removed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating the application of the holder to a crayon of uniform diameter.

Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the applica- 10 tion thereof to a crayon of the tapering type.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a manner of use. a

According to my invention I provide a blank a, which consists of a rectangular shaped sheet of thin, resilient, transparent materiahflsuch as Celluloid, or the more recently developed products of cellulose acetate, which is formed or moulded in substantially cylindrical form, so thatthe longitudinal edge portions thereof nor- I! mally overlap to a substantial extent throughout. the entire length thereof, as shown in Figs. land 2, and so that the extent to which they overlap increases from one end to the other and the internal diameter decreases fromthe end at which 35 the extent of overlapping .is least to the opposite end at which the extent of overlapping is greatest.

In Fig. 3 a crayon b of uniform diameter is illustrated, said diameter, being substantially greater than the normal internal of the holder at its end of minimum diameter. and slightly less than the normal maximum internal diameterof the holder at its opposite end, as indicated in Fig. 1.

As thus arranged, the crayon may be readily 35 inserted in the end of the holder of greatest diameter and, as it is pushed thru the holder, it will soon reach a point at which the external di-. ameter of the crayon is the same as the internal diameter of the holder, as indicated in Fig. 1. From this point the crayon 1 will cause the holder to be expanded, so that its overlapping portions will be drawn apart, 'as the crayon is pushed thru the holder, and the crayon will thus be tightly grasped by the holder, or frictionally'engag'ed thereby. The action due to drawing apartofthe overlapping. portions at one end portion of the holder will cause an opposite motion, orcorresponding contraction at its oppositeena, that its internal diameter will be reduced, and as" 1 a result by the time the crayon has been pushed into the holder, so that the latter is enclosing 'the crayon throughout its entire length, the holder will firmly grasp the crayon byfrictional engage ment at all points throughout the entire length of the holder.

- This action is illustrated in Fig. 3, in which the dotted line c, c indicates the relative positions of the edges of the overlapping portions of the holder at its end of greater diameter at the time when the crayon begins to expand the holder and the dotted line 11, d indicates the relative positions of the edges of the overlapping portions thereof, at the same time, at the end of smaller diameter. The full and dotted lines e, e, which are approximately parallel, indicate the position of the edges or the holder when it has been pushed onto the holder so that both ends of the crayon protrude beyond the ends of the holder.

In practice the holder will be pushed onto the crayon to a position at which the end of the crayon which is to be used is protruding beyond the end of the holder of normally smaller diameter to the desired extent, as indicated in Fig. 5. As the crayon is worn down, the holder will be pushed back to the necessary extent as will be obvious.

As a result the crayon may be used up almost wholly, as the end of the holder of smaller diameter will continue to grasp the crayon tightly, so long as any portion thereof remains therein.

The action, when the holder is placed on a tapering crayon ,f is indicated in Fig. 4. In this instance, the edges of the holder, which are normally slightly converging, will continue to converge slightly as the crayon is pushed .thru the holder, so that the holder will grasp the crayon thruout the length of its inserted portion when it has been pushed in far enough to begin to expand the holder and the further the crayon is pushed in, the greater will be the extent to which the holder will .be expanded, and, as a result, the holder will tightly grasp the crayon.

throughout the entire length of its portion which is withinthe holder in all positions thereof.

This condition will continue until the crayon is used or worn down and the holder is pushed back to enable the protruding end of the crayon to be used, and the holder will firmly grasp the crayon until the latter has been almost entirely used, and, at all times the length of the holder and crayon will be sufllcient for use in the usual manner, as it a crayon of full length were being employed. when the crayon hasbeen used up so that only the end which is being used protrudes, it may be pushed thrufurther by means of a pencil, or similar article.

The holder possesses various advantages, as it prevents breakage during shipment and when the crayon is permitted to fall to the iloor, it prevents soiling oi the hands 01 the user. particularly when colored crayons are being used, and as above stated, enables the crayons to be almost completely used, so that waste is prevented. Also by having the holder made of transparent material, the color of the crayon may be quickly ob, served and its length noted.

While the transparent feature of the holder is very desirable, it is not essential. and there are various materials now on the market, 01! which the holder may be formed, which will be equally satisfactory. The manner of molding these materials in the desired form will depend on particular material employed.

I claim:

1. A crayon holder consisting of a sheet of thin resilient material molded in tubular form with its longitudinal edge portions overlapping and slidable one on the other, to vary the internal diameter and permit the crayon to be slidably inserted therein and to be yieldably engaged thereby, the normal internal diameter of the holder gradually decreasing from one end to the other.

2. A crayon holder consisting oi a rectangular shaped sheet of thin resilient material molded in tubular form with the longitudinal edge portions overlapping throughout the entire length thereof and slidable one on the other to vary its internal diameter, thereby to permit the crayon to be slidably inserted therein and tobe yieldably engaged thereby, the extent to which one edge portion overlaps the other normally-increasing from one end to the other, to provide a decreasing internal diameter, whereby, as the internal diameter at one end is increased, it will tend to decrease at the opposite end.

. JOHN H. OKLEY. 

